Molly Ringwald Recalls Passing on 'Icky' Role in 'Pretty Woman'

Molly Ringwald doesn't regret saying no to a big role.

In a profile in The Guardian, the Pretty in Pink actress opened up about being in a "weird in-between stage" in her career after aging out of the teen comedies that turned her into a Hollywood icon.

She shared that she was rejected for starring in Working Girl and The Silence of the Lambs because she was seen as too young. However, when she was finally offered the starring role in Pretty Woman, she turned in down.

"Julia Roberts was wonderful in it, but I didn't really like the story," she explained. "Even then, I felt like there was something icky about it."

Ringwald previously spoke about being offered the role during a Reddit AMA. At the time, she said she didn't remember "specifically turning it down," but said that she saw an early draft from when the movie was titled $3,000.

"The script was okay but I gotta say, Julia Roberts is what makes that movie. It was her part. Every actor hopes for a part that lets them shine like that," she wrote at the time. (Roberts went on to be nominated for Best Actress at the 63rd Academy Awards for her work in the 1990 film.)

That iteration of the story is said to have been darker than the version seen in the flick, with Vivian being a drug addict and not falling in love with Edward.

Instead of seeking out edgier Hollywood roles, Ringwald decided to step away from the spotlight, moving to Paris in the '90s. "I really didn't know exactly what I wanted—I was just following my bliss," she recalled.

Next: 'The Breakfast Club' Co-Stars Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy Reunite in Rare Snap